“A little life” by Hanya Yanagihara

“Life will end in death and unhappiness, but we do it anyway.”

Friday, 10:55 am, knock at the door, broad smile of the postman. Finally, I`m holding her in my hands and they are shaking. I`ve heard a lot about the book which changed the life of my friends and I know for sure is gonna change mine. Since the first second, first glance at it, I wanted to run away, to the empty attic of the house and just read, read and cry…

The novel is about four guys who’ve known each other since college. They’re all super-ambitious: Malcolm wants to be an architect, JB wants to be an artist, Willem wants to be an actor, and Jude wants to be attorney. They all work at low-paying jobs and trying to earn another degree or get one more audition or please their boss enough to get a better assignment, but when you read and think more about the main drama, you understand that 700 pages book in fact is description of life of one person, his “little life”. This is the story of a grown up child whose childhood was a much greater nightmare than each of us can imagine – not only because of violence, but the consistent hurt and that way which killed in him believing in good human relationships, principle of family, love and support. Heartbreaking story of how a person tries to live with all the experience he has, how he tries to build new version of himself. With all his heart he wants to have another fate, another life, but the memories doesn’t fly away, they stay and hurt.

The second main line of the narrative is eternal and undying friendship, and although the novel was originally about four friends at certain moment, it becomes more about love, the portrait of it you only expect to see in fairy-tales. Describing these relations, Yanagihara does not hesitate to ask a bunch of questions. What is the difference between romantic love and friendship and do they differ at all? Is love possible without sex? Can you love only one person and sleep with others? Who should be closer – the best friend or lover? Is there a place for gender in love and friendship? And what is more important than the struggle with loneliness? There is no answer on this questions, the life of the main character becomes a search.

Every book-lover has the book, which they can not forget. “Little Life” is exactly the one for me. I will not recommend it to you if you are very emotional because Yanagihara is definitely going to change your life, you will feel devastated and mad, but this masterpiece is worth it.

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Olga Sukhopar

Olga Sukhopar, is a NYC based Ukrainian gal, fashion stylist and food junkie. Loves languages, cultures, and is a philanthropist. In my free time, I'll jog a couple of miles, visit an art or photography exhibition. Unstoppable energy, enthusiasm, and positivity are the keywords to describe me. Currently studying marketing at Zicklin School of Business. Fan fact: mangoes and avocados my best friends :)